Tobacco-case



E. MAGEE.

TOBACCO CASE APPLICATION HLED JULY 2. 1919.

1,361,341, Patented 1100.7, 1920.

ARLIN E. MA GEE, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

TOBACCO-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed July 2, 1919. Serial No. 308.179.

T 0 all to kom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARLIN E. MA GEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to tobacco cases in which tobacco is packed for storage and shipment before it reaches the manufacturer. ,It is customary to construct these cases in two sections, viz: a body box and a cover, which latter is detachably secured to the body box after the tobacco has been packed therein. The tobacco remains in these cases during shipment and storage, and before selling, each box must be sampled, sometimes a half dozen times. For sampling, the case is placed bottom up on a truck which may be drawn from the warehouse into the light, to enable accurate sampling, and the body of the case is removed, leaving the tobacco in full view for inspection. Heretofore, considerable difficulty has been experienced in an endeavor to provide a suitable fastening means for detachably securing the cover to the body box, which will permit removal of-the box from the cover without difficulty and which may be used again after each sampling in as effective a manner as originally. My present invention relates, primarily, to the means for detachably securing the cover to the body box, and has for its object the provision of a novel fastening for this purpose so constructed as to rigidly unite the cover to the body box, and which shall permit of quick and easy removal of the box for sampling any number of times necessary, without injury to the fastening means, or to the cover and box structures. The objection and disadvantages following from the prior constructions are overcome by my present improvements, the natureof which will be more particularly described hereinafter.

I have also aimed to provide fastening means of the character in mind so constructed as to enable production at a minimum cost, and which at the same time will serve practically and effectually the purposes desired. 1

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view to a tobacco case, stripped, and ready for sampling;

. fectiveness thereof.

Fig. 2, a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, inverted;

Fig. 3, a perspective View of a box end, assembled for shipping; and r Fig. 1, a perspective view of one of the fastening pins.

In order that the advantages following from the use of my improvement may be appreciated, I will describe the manner in which the cases are manufactured, assembled and the tobacco sampled. The cases are generally shipped knocked-down to the tobacco packer or user. As shown in Fig. 1, the body box comprises ends designated generally by characters 5 and 6, sides 7 and bottom 8. The ends 5 and 6 are. shipped fully assembled, as shown in Fig. 3, and comprise end boards 9nailed to corner posts 11 so as V to leave one end 12 projecting, as shown in Fig. 1, and a top board13 detachably secured to said projecting ends by my improved fastening means, which will be presently described. The side and bottom boards 7 and 8 respectively, and the boards 14 and 15 which make up the top or cover, are shipped loose in a bundle or shook. In assembling, the first operation is to nail the side boards 7 to the ends 5 and 6. The top side boards 14 are then nailed to the top end boards 18, care being taken that'the nails do not pierce the post ends 12, and the top boards 15 are next nailed to the boards 13 and 14:. The box'is now placed with the cover end down, and packed with tobacco through the open bottom, which is uppermost. a After packing, the bottom boards 8 are nailed on, this closing the box.

It will be especially noted that my in-.

vention contemplates securing the top end boards 13 rigidly to the post ends 12 in the assembling of the case, consequently the fastening means must be effectually secured both to the boards 13 and to the post ends 12. As mentioned inthe preface above, my improved fastening means is so constructed as to permit removal as many times as is ordinarily necessary without injury to the fastening element or depreciating the ef- Thisfastening means consists of a wood pin 15 of a length substantially equal to the combined thickness of an end board 13 and post 11 and adapted to be driven into any of the registering holes 16 in the end boards and posts. It

Will be noted that a tight compressing fit is not desired, because after a case stands in the warehouse for a considerable length of time, a pin driven forcibly into a small hole becomes so embedded therein by reason of expansion and warping that it is extremely difiicult to drive out the pins without breaking them or defacing the holes. In the present case, I drill the holes 16 with a bit of a size a trifle larger than the diameter of the ins 15 so that simply a snug fit is obtained. efore inserting the pins, however, a plu rality of short nails 17 are driven diametri- Cally through each pin adjacent to each end thereof and in different angular relation. These nails are of such length that when driven fully in but with the heads projecting as shown, the points project substantially to provide spurs of an effective length. In "fact, both the points and heads of the nails constitute spurs. \Vhen now a pin of this kind is driven fully into the registering holes 16, the laterally projecting spurs ateach end'ofthe pins will be embedded in the end boards and posts, respectively. Thus, the pins serve not only to hold the to'p in place on the posts but also effect a rigid and substantial connection between each post and the adjacent end board of the top. This is of special advantage when assembling and shipping the ends of the cases, for the end'boards 13 are rigidly secured and held in position on the post ends 12 by pins of my improved construction, and there is'no danger" of' the end boards being displaced-during the handling and shipping, or While "the remaining side and top boards are being nailed thereto. Vhen it is desired to sample the tobacco, the pins may be easily driven inwardly, because while they fit snugly in the holes 16 they are not wedged in to hold, but instead the spurs are relied upon and serve effectually to provide the proper fastening and retaining of associated'parts in position. Obviously, the pins are of exceptionally simple construc tion, and therefore, the fastening may be produced at a comparatively low cost and is of such design as to permit repeated use without damage to the boards.

As noted in Fig. 3, I have reinforced the material of the boards 13 surrounding the holes 16, by driving nails 18 into the ends of said boards on both sides of the holes 16 and nails 19 and 21 in the outer and inner edges, respectively, and in offset re lation to intersect the plane of the nails 18. This reinforces the board body surrounding the holes in a very substantial manner and serves effectually to prevent checking or splitting of the board.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects of my invention, and while I have illustrated and described but a single working embodiment thereof, it should be manifest that the same is capable of various changes as regards details without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim: I

A packing case of the character described adapted for shipment in knock-down condition, comprising a pair of complete ends each consisting of a pair of corner posts and an end board detachably secured to said posts at one end thereof, side, top and bottom boards independent of said'ends and adapted to be secured thereto to form a box structure, the side and top boards contiguous to said post ends when assembled being unconnected to said ends but connected together and with the top end boards to form a top unit, the posts and detachable end boards having holes therethrough in registration, and pins having projecting spurs and adapted to be driven into said registering holes for holding the end boards and posts in operative relation, and permitting removal of the top unit upon being driven inwardly sufficiently to withdraw the spurs from the outermost spur-engaged parts.

,ARLIN E. MA GEE. 

